List of the Top 10 Highest-Protein Dog Foods

Proteins are essential for a dog's growth and development and for maintaining a healthy immune system. When comparing dry dog foods, consider the type and quality of protein used, not just the quantity. Meat, fish and eggs are foods with highly digestible, usable protein, so be sure they are at the top of the ingredient list. Mary Straus of DogAware says, "There is no harm in feeding a high-protein diet to dogs of any age," but foods high in fat or calcium are not appropriate for puppies or overweight, sedentary dogs.

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Evo Reduced Fat Dry Dog Food

Grain-free EVO Reduced Fat Dry dog food has 52 per cent protein, derived from turkey, chicken and eggs. Because it has a low percentage of total carbohydrates, eating EVO Reduced Fat Dry dog food may make it easier for your dog to reach and maintain a healthy weight. This weight management food has 30 per cent less fat than other EVO foods, and some of the fat content is replaced with herring oil, a good source of Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids. Reviewers at Dog Food Analysis website comment, "It is wonderful to see a food that reduces fat without taking all the nutritious ingredients out."

Orijen Adult

Orijen Adult dog food's protein content is 42 per cent. The product was created to provide dogs with a nutritious balance of fresh meats, fruits, vegetables and grasses, similar to what wild dogs may have eaten in their natural habitats. The food is grain-free and appropriate for adult dogs of all breeds and sizes. Orijen is manufactured by a family-owned factory in Canada using human-grade meats from free-range chickens and turkeys, wild-caught freshwater and saltwater fish, regional fruits and vegetables and veterinarian-selected herbs and oils.

Instinct Chicken Meal Formula

Instinct Chicken Meal Formula for Dogs is one of Nature's Variety's offerings. Instinct foods have 42 per cent protein from 72 per cent pure animal ingredients and 28 per cent fruits and vegetables, and contain no grains. Instinct Chicken Meal Formula is gluten-free, highly digestible and nutritionally dense, according to Claws & Paws Veterinary Hospital.

Barking at the Moon Grain and Gluten-Free High Protein Dog Food

Barking at the Moon Grain and Gluten-Free dog food provides a high protein--41 per cent--low-carbohydrate diet for dogs. Dr. Ian Billinghurst, a veterinarian who believes dogs should eat diets similar to those eaten by wolves in the wild, writes that "a wolf’s diet contains almost no grains...the food fed to dogs must contain the same balance and type of ingredients as consumed by those wild ancestors." Barking at the Moon dog food approximates Dr. Billinghurst's "biologically appropriate Bones and Raw Food Diet (BARF)."

Wellness CORE original recipe

Wellness CORE Original Recipe is a grain-free diet for adult dogs. It has 34 per cent protein from a variety of different animal protein sources--deboned turkey, whitefish meal and chicken liver.

Go! Natural Grain Free Endurance

Go! Natural Grain-Free Endurance Formula’s protein content is 34 per cent. Dog Food Advisor website enthusiastically recommends this food as an "exceptional kibble" that uses a "generous amount of named poultry meals as its main sources of animal protein."

BLUE Wilderness Duck Recipe

BLUE Wilderness Duck Recipe is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate, grain-free dog food with 34 per cent protein. The formula was created by animal nutritionists and contains duck, chicken and turkey meal; sweet potatoes; potatoes; and antioxidant-rich fruits.

Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Formula

Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Formula has a minimum of 32 per cent protein content. Except for the lamb meal, the protein sources for this grain-free food--roasted bison and venison--are unusual, so it is sometimes recommended for dogs allergic to more common proteins, such as poultry and beef.